10 options for seeing the Statue of Liberty

Published: Friday, June 28, 2013 5:41 p.m. CDT

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(AP file photo)

The Staten Island Ferry passes the Statue of Liberty as it crosses New York Harbor on Oct.1, 2012. The Statue of Liberty, which has been closed to visitors since Superstorm Sandy, is scheduled to reopen for tours July Fourth, when Statue Cruises resumes departures for Liberty Island from Lower Manhattan. For tourists who want a photo of the famous statue without visiting the island, there are many options and vantage points, including rides on the free Staten Island Ferry.

By BETH J. HARPAZ | AP Travel Editor

NEW YORK – The Statue of Liberty is scheduled to reopen to visitors on July Fourth for the first time since Superstorm Sandy. But for those who just want a photo op with the statue, there are many other vantage points, from Red Hook, Brooklyn, and Governors Island, to a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. The Staten Island ferry takes you right past the statue for free, while those on bigger budgets can reserve a room with a view at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Here are 10 ways to get a great look at the Statue of Liberty, starting with the cruises that resume service to Liberty Island on July Fourth.

STATUE CRUISES TO LIBERTY ISLAND

Statue Cruises – www.statuecruises.com – is the sole operator for boats that take visitors to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. Boats are scheduled to resume departing from the Battery in Lower Manhattan on July 4, when Liberty Island reopens to the public for the first time since Superstorm Sandy last October. The statue itself was not damaged by the storm, but landing docks and infrastructure, including electrical, phone and sewage systems, required months of repair work by the National Park Service, which operates the statue.

Ellis Island was also damaged by the storm and no reopening date has been set, so cruises to the Statue of Liberty will not be stopping there yet as they did in the past, NPS spokesman John Warren said. But Warren added that the park service is "hopeful" that boats to Liberty Island will soon resume departures from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

You can buy Statue Cruises tickets in person at the Battery, but the cruises do sell out, so advance online purchase is strongly recommended. There are three types of tickets: Access to the statue's crown, $20 ($17 for seniors, $12 for ages 4-12); or access to the pedestal of the monument or the grounds of Liberty Island, $17 ($14 for seniors, $9 ages 4-12).

Visit www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/statue2012reopening.htm for more information.

STATEN ISLAND FERRY

Take the subway to Bowling Green or South Ferry and hop on a Staten Island ferry for a free ride across New York Harbor. The boats run 24 hours a day. There's always a crowd of tourists on deck taking photos as the boat passes the Statue of Liberty.

OTHER CRUISES

Many vessels offer sightseeing cruises of New York Harbor and Manhattan that sail right past the Statue of Liberty. They include the Circle Line, Manhattan by Sail's schooners, Hornblower Cruises, Spirit Cruises, New York Water Taxi and Bateaux New York. Some offer live music or fancy lunch or dinner cruises that can top $100.

BATTERY AND LOWER MANHATTAN

To see the Statue of Liberty without getting on a boat, just head to the southern tip of Lower Manhattan, an area known as the Battery (subway to South Ferry or Bowling Green).

While you're there, consider exploring other parts of Lower Manhattan, which includes the financial district and the 9/11 Memorial. NYC & Company, the city's official tourism agency, offers a guide at www.nycgo.com/lower-manhattan.

BROOKLYN BRIDGE

A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the classic New York experiences. In addition to giving you a close look at the bridge's Gothic arches and delicate filigree of cables, it offers a magical view of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. To get the full impact of the skyscraper canyon coming into view, take the subway to the Brooklyn side (A or C to High Street) and walk back across the bridge.

GOVERNORS ISLAND

Governors Island, a former Coast Guard facility now used for public recreation, offers inviting lawns, old forts, concerts, art exhibits and food vendors, along with great views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Get there by ferry, weekends through Sept. 29 from Manhattan or Brooklyn, then walk or bike around the island, www.govisland.com/html/visit/directions.shtml.

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN

One of the best views of the Statue of Liberty is from Red Hook, an up-and-coming waterfront neighborhood in Brooklyn. A cruise terminal where the Queen Mary 2 homeports is located in one corner of the neighborhood, and lots of popular eateries like the Fort Defiance Bar and Red Hook Lobster Pound line the main street, Van Brunt.

Oddly enough, one of the best spots for viewing the Statue of Liberty is from the parking lot of the local Fairway supermarket, 480-500 Van Brunt, as well as from Fairway's rear patio, which sells ready-to-eat fare. Another great vantage point is from Red Hook's Louis Valentino Jr. Pier and Park, on Ferris Street between Coffey and Van Dyke, one of the few places where you can get a rare head-on view of the statue, instead of from the side.

A free ferry runs weekends this summer to Red Hook from Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan, http://www.nywatertaxi.com/tours/redhook . Red Hook is also fun to explore by bike, and it's one of those rare neighborhoods where you can often find street parking.

MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE - A LIVING MEMORIAL TO THE HOLOCAUST

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust at 36 Battery Place has tall picture windows that look directly out onto the Statue of Liberty. While you look, you can listen to the museum's "Voices of Liberty" sound installation, in which Holocaust survivors, refugees and others discuss why they chose to make the U.S. their home, www.mjhnyc.org/.

RITZ-CARLTON NEW YORK, BATTERY PARK

The majority of guest rooms at the Ritz-Carlton's Battery Park hotel offer views of the Statue of Liberty, and they even come equipped with telescopes for an up-close look. For July Fourth weekend, prices for a room with a king or two double beds start at $420, going up to $7,500 for a 2,100-square-foot (195-square-meter) suite; www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NewYorkBatteryPark/Default.htm.

LIBERTY STATE PARK, NEW JERSEY

This waterfront park on the New Jersey side of the harbor offers the closest view you can get of the statue without sailing past on a boat or stepping onto Liberty Island. There are three ways to get there: Drive; take the PATH train from Manhattan, followed by a light rail and a half-mile (.8-kilometer) walk into the park; or take a ferry from the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, www.libertylandingferry.com. While you're there, check out the Liberty Science Center, a great museum for kids, www.lsc.org.